Streamline travel and expense management with CTM

Travel and expense are two sides of the same coin—after all, it’s called a “T&E” policy for a reason. While Travel Managers may not always have the final say in selecting expense tools, their expertise—combined with the right travel management company (TMC)—can significantly improve efficiencies and turn them into travel and expense champions.

According to CTM’s Global Customer Survey, expense management and payment solutions rank as key priorities for the year ahead, following closely behind cost reduction and customer service. While Travel Managers often lead the charge in sourcing travel management solutions (67% are the primary decision makers according to the April 2024 GBTA Travel Industry Outlook Poll, fewer—only 14%—influence the selection of expense tools, and just 17% oversee the administration of these systems.

So, how can Travel Managers ensure travel and expense processes work seamlessly together? With the right TMC partner, you can integrate end-to-end solutions that fit your organization’s policies, payment preferences, and reconciliation needs—ensuring efficiency and compliance at every step.

CTM: Your Partner for End-to-End Travel and Expense Integration

At CTM, we help businesses navigate the complexities of travel and expense management by offering flexible, secure, and scalable integration solutions. Whether you’re using global expense tools or exploring future payment solutions, our expertise will ensure travel and expense systems work together smoothly saving time, reducing errors, and enhancing visibility for your organization.

We offer tailored solutions for many types of expense integration, making it easy to find the right fit for your travel and expense needs:

Native System Integrations

For organizations using native travel and expense tools like SAP Concur Travel & Expense, CTM provides seamless integrations that allow automated transaction flows between your travel and expense systems. This minimizes manual data entry and creates a more efficient process for reconciliation and reporting. However, these systems can require significant oversight and administration, so we work closely with your team to ensure smooth implementation and operation.

Key Insight:

Native integrations offer comprehensive, automated workflows but may demand higher investment and ongoing management, making them ideal for larger organizations with dedicated resources.

API Integrations for Flexible, Low-Admin Solutions

If you prefer a more flexible, low-administrational solution, CTM’s API integrations are the perfect fit. Our proprietary tools can integrate directly with expense management systems like Chrome River by Emburse. This means receipts and transaction details flow effortlessly into your expense system with minimal administration. It’s a smart solution for businesses looking for efficient travel expense reconciliation without the heavy administrative load.

Key Insight:

API integrations offer a cost-effective solution that reduces manual input while maintaining the flexibility to integrate with multiple systems and platforms.

Integrated Payment Solutions

With 70% of business travelers using corporate cards (according to the 2024 GBTA Outlook), integrating your payment solutions with travel systems is crucial for consistency and compliance. CTM supports seamless integration with virtual cards such as Conferma, Mesh Payments, and is exploring emerging technologies like blockchain. By aligning your payment preferences with your travel systems, you ensure a cohesive, compliant, and user-friendly process for your employees.

Key Insight:

Supporting virtual cards and organizational payment preferences ensures transparency and seamless purchasing processes across all travel-related transactions.

Data Handoff for Easy Reconciliation

Simplify reconciliation with automated data handoff between your TMC and expense system. CTM supports secure data transfers from CTM Data Hub to dozens of global expense partners, ensuring travel reservation data is regularly pushed to your expense system for easy tracking, reconciliation, and reporting.

Key Insight:

Data handoff is ideal for businesses looking to enhance visibility into travel spend and streamline their reporting processes without manual intervention.

By understanding your company’s goals, policies, and preferred systems, CTM provides the strategic account management and program analysis to ensure your travel and expense solutions are fully integrated, efficient, and compliant. With the right partner, you can create a seamless experience that drives adoption, reduces errors, and optimizes travel spend—all while meeting the needs of both your travelers and your finance team.

With CTM, organizations of any size can leverage expert advice, secure integrations, and cutting-edge technology to streamline travel and expense management. We’re here to make the end-to-end process as smooth as possible, so you can focus on what matters most—running your business.